Custody and Control: Conditions of Confinement in New York’s Juvenile Prisons for Girls

Custody and Control

Conditions of Confinement in New York’s Juvenile Prisons for Girls

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Glossary

Summary

Recommendations

To the Governor of New York and the Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS)

To the New York State Legislature

To the New York Courts

To Family Court Prosecutors, Mental Health Services Officers, and Probation Officers

To the New York State Office of Mental Health

To the New York State Department of Education

To the New York State Civil Service Employees Association and Public Employees Federation, the unions representing OCFS facilities staff

To United States Officials

To the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women

Methods

I. The Rights of Incarcerated Girls under International Law

II. Girls in the New York Juvenile Justice System

Girls’ Delinquency: Systemic Failures and Pathways to Incarceration

The Social Welfare System

Schools

Juvenile Justice Processing and the Incarceration of Girls

Developments in the Policing of Girls

The Incarceration of Girls

The Disproportionate Impact on Girls of Color

III. Conditions of Confinement: Abusive Treatment

Excessive Use of Physical “Restraints”

Staff Shortages as a Contributing Factor to Excessive Force

Excessive Security Measures

Secure Conditions within Tryon’s “Non-Secure” Facility

Strip Searches

Handcuffing and Shackling of Girls

Sexual Abuse

Collective Punishment

Verbal and Psychological Abuse

Violations of Privacy

Discrimination

Discrimination and Harassment Against Lesbian and Gender Nonconforming Girls

Racial Discrimination

IV. Conditions of Confinement: Inadequate Educational Opportunities

Schooling

Vocational Training

V. Conditions of Confinement: Mental Health

General Health Concerns

VI. Conditions of Confinement: Isolation and Related Issues

Isolated Confinement

Idleness

Limitations on Contact with the Outside World

Lack of Attorney Access upon Incarceration

Family Visits

Telephone Calls and Mail

Library and Media Access

VII. Reentry and the Effects of Incarceration

VIII. Lack of Accountability, Oversight, and Transparency in OCFS

Grievance Procedures and Staff Accountability

Absence of Internal Oversight

Inadequacy of External Governmental Monitoring

Barriers to Monitoring by Civil Society

Appendix: Facilities Investigated

Tryon

Lansing

Acknowledgements

September 2006 Volume 18, No. 4(G)